Interesting Stories Behind The Most Famous Car Logos
Many iconic vehicle logos were created without advertising firms, drawing inspiration from city flags, family crests, and personal muses. These logos became memorable symbols, often tied to myths and reflecting their manufacturers' unique identity.
Toyota
The Toyota logo, made of three overlapping ovals, forms a "T" and a steering wheel, symbolizing the company's ideals and customer expectations. The larger oval represents the planet embracing Toyota, with a nod to its textile industry origins.
Saab
The crowned red bird in the SAAB logo is a Griffin, symbolizing Scania, where the original company was based. After merging with Saab Automobile, the logo was redesigned in 1984 and again in 2012 when National Electric Vehicle Sweden acquired SAAB.
Cadillac
The Cadillac logo is based on the family coat of arms of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Detroit. Originally symbolizing valor and virtue, the coat of arms featured a crown, wreath, and Merganser ducks, which were later removed.
Volvo
The Volvo logo, resembling the Roman god Mars' symbol, represents strength and safety, not chauvinism. Adopted in the 1920s, the circle with an arrow, also used by alchemists for iron, highlights these traits in Volvo vehicles.
Maserati
Maserati's trident logo, chosen by artist Mario Maserati, was inspired by the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna. It symbolizes Neptune, with the red and blue reflecting Bologna's colors, rather than the three founding brothers.
Audi
The Audi logo, consisting of four interlocked rings, represents the four companies—Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer—that merged in the early 20th century. Over time, the logo was simplified, and the company removed the other names, leaving just the iconic four rings.
BMW
Many people believe that the blue and white roundel in the BMW logo represents a plane's propellers in the sky, a myth popularized by films like Finding Forrester. In truth, the colors are a tribute to the Bavarian flag, not to BMW’s alleged history in aircraft engine manufacturing.
Subaru
Subaru, named after the Pleiades star cluster in the Taurus constellation, is also represented by six stars in its logo, symbolizing the six companies that merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries. The name "Subaru" is believed to be an anagram of these original companies, and the star cluster can be seen with the naked eye.
Chevrolet
The origins of the Chevrolet "Bowtie" logo are unclear, with several competing theories. The most widely accepted suggests it was inspired by the Swiss flag to honor Louis Chevrolet, the company's Swiss partner.
Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz logo, featuring a silver star encircled, represents the company's vision to provide transportation for sea, sky, and land. Although never fully realized, this grand vision might come true as the company explores new technologies, potentially even space exploration.
